How to Write Lightning-Fast Articles Your Readers Will Love

It would be nice if quality was all that mattered.

Let’s face it.

The quality and quantity of your content can make or break your online success.

Whether you’re a blogger, a social media marketer, an online entrepreneur, or a digital author trying to build an online presence, growing and maintaining a receptive audience requires frequent publishing.

You need to keep your name and your ideas in front of your audience.

Without this steady presence, people will forget about you.

But this takes considerable time, doesn’t it?

The worst part?

It’s rarely easy.

Sure, you have those perfect moments when the writing flows, but those times are rare, aren’t they?

If you’re honest, you’ll admit to a constant struggle between spending time on the work you love versus spending time on the work you must complete to support that primary love.

This translates into lots of writing time:

• writing blog posts to support your author platform
• writing guest post articles to support your website, product, or service
• creating and maintaining a company blog to appease the search engines gods (for traffic)

Who wants to focus unnecessary energy on support efforts?

You need an easier way, a reliable method for getting from point A to B without the guesswork, the frustration, the needless suffering.

You need a system that delivers without fail, a plan that saves you time, energy, and money.

Faster = Smarter

Agreed?

Great.

Let’s get started.

Read on to discover how to write lightning-fast articles your readers will love.

Choose the Right Topic

The fastest way to write professional, engaging content is to focus on something you already know and understand, something you could talk about for hours. Research takes time, and it cuts into productivity. Before committing to any significant, in-depth research, ask yourself whether you could shift the focus to an easier topic.

And make sure you care about the subject. Your readers will notice your passion; they’ll also notice your apathy, so be careful.

Finally, choose something your audience cares about. What do they struggle with? What challenges keep them stuck at their present level of understanding? How can you match your passion with your reader’s passion?

Make these key connections in the beginning stages of your article to hook your readers.

Create an Outline

Nothing slows progress like writing without a plan. Sure, you can BS with the best of them, but there’s nothing like working with an outline to speed your progress. Knowing your destination keeps you writing, not thinking.

How do you get there?

Brainstorm.

Start with your topic, and free-associate. Write down everything that relates to your topic. After this step, organize your subtopics, grouping like items together.

Try using post-it notes or index cards to move ideas around freely.

Start with threes:

• 3 main parts,
• intro/body/conclusion, or
• past/present/future.

Break these three parts into three additional subtopics.

Create a Micro Template for Your Subtopics

A micro template serves as an outline within the outline. You can use this method for narrative and/or list posts.

When discussing subtopics, I like to use the following micro template:

• State what’s obvious (what everyone knows/assumes about the subject)
• Discuss what’s hidden (what’s less obvious/below the surface)
• Discuss how to get there (how-to steps or an action plan), how to overcome or solve the issue at hand
• Highlight the benefits (the positive outcomes) of solving the problem
• Offer resources for more information (other articles, videos, special reports, or web resources)

Use Speech-Recognition Software to Draft Your Article

Most people find talking easier than typing.

I assumed as much myself, but I never realized how much faster I could write without typing.

Right now, I’m using speech recognition software to draft this post. Once I have my outline, I activate my software and speak into the microphone on my laptop. It takes about 15 minutes to load and set up the software. You only have to do this once. After providing samples during the setup process, you can begin drafting articles with 99% accuracy.

Taking my hands out of the equation tripled my productivity.

Software gives me the freedom to walk around the room while drafting. If I answer the phone in the next room, I’ll have to come back to my laptop to erase the conversation. It’s that sensitive.

I’m using Dragon Naturally Speaking. It’s inexpensive and perfect for my needs.

Let Your Draft Sit Before Publishing

If you have the luxury, let your draft sit before rushing into revision and or editing.

If you try to move too fast, you’ll publish with unnecessary errors.

Remember, we often can’t see our own mistakes. Our minds fill in the blanks. Create some distance, and you’ll be able to spot content flaws as well as grammar and punctuation mistakes.

Walking away gives you an edge. Return to your work relaxed and ready. Editing requires a sharp mind.

Edit Your Work

Everyone says they edit their work. As a writing instructor, I know better.

You can’t get through an hour on the Internet without encountering multiple typos and punctuation errors. We live in the age of instant content. Needless to say, quality suffers.

Have a system in place for editing.

Just like the outline for drafting, you need a reliable system for editing. Otherwise, you’re just proofreading and guessing.

Start with the obvious: spelling, grammar and punctuation, awkward sentence structure, passive voice. After ticking these boxes, look for excessive or unnecessary adverbs, for qualifiers and intensifiers. You may need separate editing lists to match the type or genre of the writing your editing.

Lastly, ask yourself whether your article delivers on its promise. Have you provided enough detail, enough resources?

Ask yourself whether you’ve covered the who, what, when, where, how, and why.

Include a Call to Action

Never publish an article without considering its purpose. Are you writing to inform, to entertain, or to sell a product or service?

All writing has a purpose, so make sure to ask your reader to take action. Offer them a content upgrade, a reason to join your mailing list. If you’re guest posting on another site, make sure to include a resource box that links back to your website or blog.

Ask them to leave a comment, to visit a similar article on your site. Take advantage of this opportunity. When readers have spent the last several minutes enjoying your work, they’re particularly receptive to taking the next step.

Take them to the next level, and you’ll have more eyes on your next post.

Publish Your Article

Yes, you know you’re supposed to publish, but how many times have you allowed your work to sit without releasing it?

You’re thinking, “give it another day, and I’ll feel more confident about it.“

You’ll never receive the benefits of writing without publishing.

The more you publish, the more you’ll see growth and opportunities.

Imagine all of your favorite novels sitting in drawers, on flash drives, in laptops gathering dust…

So, publish it, and celebrate your success.

Now, it’s your turn…

How do you writer articles faster?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.